BELGRADE (WARINFO) – According to Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, who spoke on Wednesday, Russian investigators have determined that sonic weapons were not employed by Serbian authorities during a large-scale protest in March. This statement comes following concerns raised by European officials regarding reports about these devices’ usage.
A few weeks ago, the Serbian government asked for assistance from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), their close partner, to look into an incident involving over 300 anti-government demonstrators in Belgrade who claimed they were forced to run away and some even rendered incapable due to a loud noise that occurred on March 15th.
Senior representatives from the European Union’s administrative Commission along with various human rights groups pressed President Vucic to probe the reported occurrences, as these events could violate Serbian legislation. He agreed to examine the matter further.
“A categorical conclusion can be made that the … type of acoustic devices owned by the Serbian police authorities were not used,” Vucic said in a televised address, citing the FSB report.
Protests against Vucic, a populist leader who has held office either as prime minister or president since 2013, have become the largest in several decades. Following these demonstrations, which prompted his predecessor to step down, Serbia’s parliament selected a political newcomer perceived as being aligned with Vucic as the new prime minister on Wednesday.
The Serbian authorities denied possessing such sonic devices, until Interior Minister Ivica Dacic admitted that police had bought Long-Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD) – used by law enforcement agencies and militaries in a number of countries, including the United States, Australia, Greece and Japan – from the U.S. in 2021. Police later said the devices had been bought to relay verbal messages to crowds.
Sonic devices utilize intense sounds to disable adversaries. These instruments can harm hearing and lead to headaches as well as feelings of sickness. According to Serbian legislation, these tools cannot be used against ordinary citizens.
Vucic stated that he would pursue criminal charges against individuals accusing government officials of utilizing a sonic device. He also mentioned that according to the Russian report, unknown persons dressed in black from among the spectators were responsible for orchestrating the event. “Shame on you; you despicable deceivers,” he declared.
Prominent organizations stated that the evidence regarding their usage on March 15 was unclear, however, they indicated that either an LRAD or an experimental vortex cannon might have been employed.
Serbia balances its pro-Western policies and EU accession bid with ties with Russia, a traditional Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally. In March, Serbia’s former deputy-Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin said Russia’s spy services had helped Belgrade to try to thwart protests.
Vucic stated his intention to join the celebrations in Moscow for the Victory Parade on May 9, where he will meet with Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin.
(Reported by Aleksandar Vasovic; Edited by Philippa Fletcher)
